THE HELLENISTIC EMPIRE

"Just as Great as Alexander!"

323 BCE to 30 BCE


Maps:

Map of Major Cities in the Hellenistic Empire (Olivia) 

Map of Alexander the Great's Route for Conquering Persia (Paul)


Map of the different Hellenistic Kingdoms (Olivia)


(Eric)

Map of the Hellenistic Kingdoms

Government: (Paul)

• After the death of King Philip II, Alexander was put on the throne. Throughout the next 12 years, he received the name Alexander the Great. Just like his father, Alexander wanted to invade Persia. From 334 BC to 323 BC, Alexander and his armies sailed across the Dardanelles and marched about the Persian Empire, taking territory and founding towns of their own without losing a single battle. Eventually, the Macedonian army arrived at Babylon, where Alexander got a sudden sickness and died shortly after.
• The Hellenistic Empire had a monarch government, with one king that ruled for life and then passed down the throne to his heir after his death.
• Alexander the Great died without leaving an heir, so the empire was left to his three generals, which split the empire into three kingdoms: The Ptolemaic Kingdom, The Antigonid Kingdom, and the Seleusid Kingdom. These kingdoms fought over power and borders for the next 300 years.

A painting of Alexander the Great

Religion: (Eric)

• One of the emblems of Hellenistic religion was combining Greek religious traditions with the traditions of the local populations. This combination of religious traditions is called "syncretism." Alexander initiated the phenomenon of Hellenistic syncretism in Egypt by encouraging the Egyptians to worship him as a god, because he assumed that they would follow a leader more willingly if they considered him a god.
• The Hellenistic Empire also looked to gain favor with the Egyptian people by respecting their religious traditions and supporting Egyptian religious shrines. A shrine is any structure, such as a temple or church, that is devoted to a holy person. The early Ptolemies established the Serapeum, an important religious shrine to Sarapis, in Alexandria so that their capital could replace Memphis as the spiritual capital of the kingdom. Sarapis was a god whos worship was encouraged in Egypt in an attempt to unite the Greeks and Egyptians.
• The people of Hellenistic were polytheists. They believed in many gods such as Isis, Osiris, Apis, Amon, Sarapis, and many others.
• The people would go to oracles for advice and to know what fate was held for them in the future.

Serapis

Economy: (Olivia)

• Alexandria, Egypt was one of the biggest and most populous cities in the Hellenistic Empire, with almost a million people living there. Alexandria was located at the Nile River Delta along the Mediterranean Sea, and was between Europe and Asia, which made it a central location for trade in the empire.
• Many cultures from Europe and Asia blended together in the empire through trade. Marble from Greece, spices from Arabia, and ivory from east Africa were some commonly traded goods.
• Alexandria also controlled the manufacturing and trade of of papyrus, a paper made the reeds of the papyrus plant that grows along the banks of the Nile River.
• Coins were often used instead of trading one item for another. Coins often depicted kings or rulers at the time.

A sheet of papyrus

external image plain-blank-papyrus-paper-tp_5269812740250661710.png

A Hellenistic coin

Art: (Olivia)

• Artists and architects built large and impressive temples, palaces, and public buildings in major cities such as Alexandria.
• The famous and beautiful Pharos lighthouse in Alexandria, Egypt was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
• Alexander the Great supported scholars, and as a result, art and learning flourished in the empire.
• Alexander's conquests spread Greek culture across the Hellenistic Empire. Temples and statues in the Greek style were built in Africa and Asia.
• The Museum was built in Alexandria. The Museum, meaning "House of the Muses" was a cultural center for learning. The Muses were nine Greek goddesses of art and science.

Pharos Lighthouse

external image lighthouse1.jpg

Technology: (Eric)

• In the Hellenistic era, many branches of the sciences—astronomy, mathematics, medicine, and engineering—blossomed, in large part because of the wealth of Alexander, whose fortunes lead to the ability to research and experiment. Many advancements in engineering arose out of a need for better artillery to tackle surrounding armies.
• The main advancement in Hellenistic artillery were torsion catapults, machines that exert high tension to increase the force of a missile. A screw that was vital in irrigation for lifting water was also invented during this time. Also, Alexander's engineers designed better siege towers.
• The Hellenistic Empire was very fortunate to have two of the most intelligent people of the third century B.C., Euclid and Archimedes. Euclid was a brilliant mathematician who built on the solid traditions of past mathematicians and is best known for his book The Elements. The Elements covered plane geometry, number theory, irrationals, and solid geometry. Archimedes, perhaps the best engineering mind of the third century B.C., invented various siege machines that helped conquer many other city-states and empires.

torsion catapult

Society: (Paul)

• In the Hellenistic Empire, woman were not so confined to their homes. They could learn to read and write, and get important jobs. The wives of mothers of rulers generally worked with their husbands and sons. Even though this is true, they were not as equal in society as men.
• Most of the language, culture, and customs remained Greek, for the Macedonians were greatly influenced by the Greece.
• Mathematics, science, and medicine improved, which improved knowledge and health of people.
• Before he died, Alexander the Great had dreams of a Greek-Persian civilization in the Hellenistic Empire. Most other people did not want this, so his dream died with him.
• There were many architects and artists in the Hellenistic society.
• Throughout his conquest, Alexander the Great founded many towns, which were cultural centers. This helped spread the Hellenistic culture over a vast area.

Major Greek Philosophers in Hellenistic Culture

Summary: (Paul)
Over the 300 years that the Hellenistic Empire existed, it was able to achieve an outstanding amount. To begin with, the Hellenistic Empire was able to conquer all of the Persian Empire. Alexander the Great built the largest known empire of the time period. The Hellenistic Empire advanced greatly in mathematics, sciences, and medicine. Much of Macedonian advancements was due to the Greek influences that the Hellenistic Empire has. They were able to base their ideas off of previous knowledge. A large achievement of the Hellenistic Empire was the spread of Greek culture throughout the Mediterranean. Through this, the Hellenistic Empire became one of the most accomplished empires in the world.